Turks and Caicos Islands
List of described attractions by districts
Turks and Caicos Islands are overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Islands are divided into six adsminitrative districts.
| Grand Turk | ||
| Middle Caicos | ||
| North Caicos | ||
| Providenciales and West Caicos | ||
 | Boiling Hole in Lake Catherine | Caves |
| Salt Cay | ||
| South Caicos and East Caicos | ||
Turks and Caicos Islands - map
Wikipedia article about Turks and Caicos Islands
Featured:
Boiling Hole in Lake Catherine
Blue holes - underwater passages between lakes and sea - exist on several Caicos Islands. One of the best explored thus far is the Boiling Hole in Lake Catherine, West Caicos.
Main attractions
These small tropical islands are overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
Islands are not very rich with landmarks. Most interesting are the caves, including underwater caves.
Natural landmarks
Caves and sinkholes
- Boiling Hole in Lake Catherine – West Caicos. Deep cave, which starts some metres below the water in Lake Catherine. Explored 206 m long passage, strong current in the cave.
- Caves of Conch Bar (Village Caves) – Middle Caicos. Vast cave system. Here live 5 species of bats, cave was used as a sanctuary of Taino people.
- Cottage Pond – North Caicos. Circular, 50 m wide and 78 m deep sinkhole located inland. It becomes wider with the depth and there have been discovered underwater stalactites even at 37 m depth.
- Indian Cave – Middle Caicos. Large cavern with many openings. Possible Taino sanctuary or settlement site.
Chalk Sound.
Tim Sackton, Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Other natural landmarks
- Chalk Sound – Providenciales. Lagoon with unbelievably blue, shining water. Water is colored by the fine, white chalk powder.
Man made landmarks
Archaeological monuments
- Booy’s petroglyph cave – western East Caicos. Cave with the only petroglyphs of Taino people in Turks and Caicos. Petroglyphs were discovered in 1912 and rediscovered in 2008.
- GT-2 site – Grand Turk. Former settlement, inhabited by Taino people in 12th – 13th centuries. Here were produced shell beads – thousands of these beads have been recovered here.
- GT-3 site – Grand Turk. Oldest known settlement in Lucayan archipelago, inhabited circa 700 – 900 AD. This settlement existed when sea level was lower and climate was arid.
- MC-6 site – Middle Caicos. Ruins of Taino settlement, where two groups of buildings vere built around two plazas. Stones mark a possible ball court – the only one in Lucayan islands. Other interesting stone settings, which may show the constellations. It is possible that from here came the chief of Lucayan people whome met Columbus in 1492.
Turks and Caicos National Museum - Guinep House.
TampAGS, Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Other man made landmarks
- Molasses Reef Wreck - Providenciales and West Caicos. Oldest wreck of European ship in Americas, which wrecked here circa 1513. Rich finds from this ship are located in National Museum.
- Turks & Caicos National Museum (Guinep House) – Grand Turk. Historical house, built before 1830. Most of this building is constructed using the material from shipwrecks. Contains interesting exhibit of shipwrecks.
20 July 2012 Gatis Pāvils